See-through no more

Not only is the big original entry door sans transom window in the wrong location (i.e. in the living room instead of the vestibule), it also came with an ugly, dirty and broken mini blind.

Just how to get rid of the mini blind without compromising our privacy? The big door opens to our front porch and to the street, and while the Loquat and crape myrtles provide ample privacy for most of the year, right now, things are looking a little bare. Add some light to that and voila, instant movie theater for the neighbors!

Sure they'd much prefer we do our private things in the privacy of our own four walls and encouraged by the success with window frosting in our master bathroom, I decided to frost the center panel.

First, it was bye-bye, nasty, broken mini blind! Good thing it was an early Sunday morning (I naturally wake up at the crack of dawn) and nobody was out and about to see me diy-ing in my pjs.

After a quick cleaning of the glass panel which gave me some time for idle thoughts and musings, I grabbed the tape on the husband's desk and taped off a quick, craftman-style inspired pattern for some quick and easy visual interest



All this happened under the watchful eyes of Ferb (as in "Phineas and Ferb"), one of our porch kittens. There are only two, Ferb and her little brother "Phineas", who have recently shown up on our porch. They look like Seamus's love children but he hasn't let us in on any family relations yet.


After the tape was in place, I went spraying. I've been using Valspar's Frosted Glass on two bathroom windows and now on the door, and there's still some left in the can. A-Ma-Zing!


After several coats I decided the frosting was thick enough for good privacy and applied as evenly as possible so it would look good.


Then it was time to remove the tape! It came off with no problems whatsoever and left beautifully crisp edges. I wouldn't recommend it for taping off on walls though. Hmm, then again the reusable tape might work just as well ....


Husband came down for breakfast and found a door with a new look along with a very-pleased-with-herself wife. While running rampant on all kinds of last-minute projects, we have been enjoying a brighter living room. Of course, now the dinged up molding around the doors is begging to be painted but I guess we're going to have some turkey first!

Peekaboo window

Now that our Master Bathroom is complete as far as typical bathroom fixtures are concerned - you know, like a sink, a toilet and a bath tub - we have slowly and rather gingerly begun to use it. No, the bath tub is as of yet still unchristened (can't have my brain go on its usual "Here're the things that I need to finish" spree while taking a bubble bath in my glorious clawfoot tub) but sink and toilet are being subjected to ..ahem, light use.

You know, we seem to forget that there is now an extra bathroom.

Like it's not on our inner house map yet, we gravitate toward the hall bathroom in the mornings and if that's in use, the first step is always toward the stairs to head down to the half bath.

We're hoping this will change once the Master Bath receives its final and homey-fying touches. I've just ordered towel rings, for example, I scored a nifty mirror that needs a few tender loving and caring touch-ups, we need a bath mat and of course, window treatments for a softer, less stark white atmosphere.

And that brings us - finally - to a whole other problem: Privacy.

While I enjoy living in the urban core and don't mind my neighbors up close and personal (and we have sweet neighbors all around us, and in general, the Springfield people rock my boat balancing the line between privacy and neighborly love with perfection), there're two windows that are even in my world of laid-back exhibitionism a bit ...let's say, "iffy". Especially after sunset.

You see, I was using the brand new installed toilet, musing about our DIY to-do list and dangling my legs, when I noticed that at night our brightly lit bathroom would provide an excellent entertainment of the scantily clad sort for the neighbors whose backyards border ours.

So not good.

Some privacy would be nice, especially when using the toilet. Toilet time is not off-limits in my family, but I'd like to keep it in the family and not include my neighbors. I'm sure they appreciate the thought too.

Anyways, on one of our regular trips to the orange box (or was it the blue one?), I picked up a can of this stuff

I've tried window film before and while it does do the job, it's always a big hassle, wrangling those sheets into submission and keeping them from rolling up on you while you're trying to measure and to cut. This sounded much easier (C'mon, it's 'spray' frost - woot!) and since it's removable, it gave me enough freedom to try it without having to commit permanently like with etching cream. If I don't like it or find something better, some nail polish and a razor blade will do the trick!

I wish I could show you a 'Before' picture of that window but it was dark when I decided to do this and I forgot to snap it. It's just a very basic 80s chicken coop window (and it'll be replaced with a proper and much nicer sash window at some point)

[After: Ahh, sweet privacy ....]

No more unwanted flashing the neighbors and I still get a peek of the sky and the tree tops in front of the window. Mission accomplished!

Feeling greatly encouraged I might proceed with my secret plans for a certain window downstairs.